Guan Eng, ask Nurul – She’ll tell you our courts are fair

The High Court ruled today (see news item below) in favour of Nurul Izzah Anwar in her defamation suit against former IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and UMNO’s Dato’ Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Is that not proof that the Malaysian judiciary does not pander to Barisan Nasional politicians?

Nurul is a member of the Malaysian opposition pact.

When our courts rule in the pact’s favour – which, for all intents and purposes, is quite the norm – you hear members of the pact praising judiciary and declaring that justice has been served. However, when the court rules against its favour, the credibility and impartiality of the very same judiciary is questioned.

See the hypocrisy?

With the latest ruling, let us learn to live with the idea that the GoM has no control over the courts. It may have been the case in the days of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, granted – that old loaf was known to run rings around judiciary and even twist the arms of judges. But not with Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, no. With the current Prime Minister, everything must be done in accordance with law and not through the guile of blackmail or deceit.

So Lim Guan Eng, you really have nothing to worry about. If the courts find you guilty of having architected and/or orchestrated a bungalow-for-land scam deal, you can rest assured that you’re every bit as guilty as the court rules you to be. However, should the court say you’re innocent, then, you’re innocent. Don’t believe me?

The High Court also awarded her a total of RM1 million in damages, ordering former inspector-general of police Khalid to pay RM400,000 while Ismail, the caretaker rural and regional development minister, must pay RM600,000.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Faizah Jamaludin said the court found that both Khalid and Ismail had defamed Nurul Izzah at two separate functions in 2015 concerning the incumbent Lembah Pantai MP’s meeting with Filipina Jacel Kiram who was a member of a group that had planned to go to war against Malaysia.

“The statements in its natural and ordinary meaning had defamed the plaintiff,” Faizah said in her ruling.

She said the statements conveyed to the ordinary reasonable man that in meeting Jacel, Nurul Izzah was a terrorist and had committed treason by declaring war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Nurul Izzah’s lead counsel was incumbent Subang MP Sivarasah Rasiah.

Khalid and Ismail were absent from today’s court proceedings but were represented by senior federal counsel Normastura Ayub and Zureen Elina Mohd Dom